Multiple conduit



April 1931' E. BURKE 1,799,674

MULTIPLE GONDUIT Filed Oct. '7, 1926 can)! mun Hill "WM nmmnnnumlllm lllll Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE EDMUND BURKE, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN COMPANY, OI BERLIN,

NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE MULTIPLE CONDU IT Application filed October 7, .1926. Serial 1Y0. 139,977;

This invention relatesv to sections of multiple conduit which are built u of sections of single conduit secured in de nite spaced relation. .While the single conduit of which 5 the assembly is composed may be of any desired material, I prefer to use waterproofed fibrous conduit on account of its qualities including lightness, cheapness, strength and toughness, which makes it especially suitable for many of the uses in which conduit is commonly employed, but it is to be. understood that theinvention contemplates single conduits of any material whatever, and resides in the manner of securing the conduits to- 16 gether into a multiple unit.

manner. For convenience, an assembly of [four single conduits of ordinary tubular shape is shown. The conduits are held in place by spacing means which comprise molded or cast blocks 11 preferably of a shape approximating that shown on the drawin these blocks being spaced at proper interva s along the conduits and surrounding each single conduit completely. The niolds neces-- sary to form blocks of the kind illustrated are structed without difiicultyby any one skilled in the art. The molds necessarily hold the while the plastic or molten block-formin material is introduced into the molds an allowed to set. The material used for the blocks may be of'any kind capable ofbeing molded or cast. I prefer for this purpose a concrete mixture of Portland cement and cinders, the concrete being reinforced as usual not shown'as they obviously could be 'con-,

if desired. The use of cinders, ashes or equivalent material, makes the concrete comparativ'ely light and thus suitable for use with fibrous conduit which is also light. There.- sulting multiple unit is thus both light and strong.

In forming the blocks, the sections of single conduit are arranged in substantially parallel relation and held in position by suitable concrete molds while the concrete is poured in and allowed to set. The molds are preferably constructedso that the thickness of concrete from a conduit to the outer face of a block (as at 13) is just half the thickness between adjacent conduits (as at 12) Asa result of this construction, when multiple units are placed'side by: side, or in superposed relation, as shown in igure 2, all the conduits in the group will be uniformly spaced. The concrete blocks, besides holding the single .conduits in properly s aced relation, also bond them together firm against relative lon itudinal motion. 7 hen conduit is used or telephone or other cables, the cables have tobe drawn through'after the conduit has been laid. Frequently, the. pull required to drag a long heavy cable through a conduit is very great and it is evident that practically all the reactive force to such apull isthe friction on the walls of the conduit. As this reactive force tends to 'move the conduit longitudinally, itis highly imsortant that the conduit be securely anchore against such. motion. This is accomplished by the blocks which in settin closely engage the conduits and grip them rmly.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, itshould be evident to those skilled in the art that various changesand modifications may be made without departing.from its spirit or scopeas defined by the ap ended claims. conduits firmly in correct spaced relation in relative position, said holding means comprising a plurality, of blocks ofsolidified v t ickness o tion of the length of thecon uit section.

spaced-apart relationgf'the' spacinget-Wee gitudinally o ormed around and between all said single a plastic material formed around and between said sin 1e conduit sections, said blocks being s aced on itudinally of the sections, the

each block bein a small frac- 2. As anew-article of manufacture, a sec.- tion of multipleconduit comprising a; p111;- rali-ty of single-lengths ofsingle conduit: arranged in rows in. substantially arallel the single sections min substantially uni the sections, each block being] sections with a thickness equal to", a'small fraction of the length: of the conduit section:

' tween; adjacent sections.

" and; being spaced, -rom the endsj of the sec-i ralityof single conduits iniparall'el. uniforms;

l a thickness which is small compared to the v len .h oftheconduitsections and extending outwardly-beyond the; single sections :for a distanceequal to half that bea 3-. As: a new-article of manufacture, a. $60:-

tion of multiple conduit comprising av-plurality ofsections-ofsingleconduit;arranged in'substantially parallel s aced apart relation, and s aci'ng blocks 0 concrete formed anoundcan between said single sections, said bloeksxhaying; a thickness equalto-asmall j fraction of-the'len h of, the conduit section v tion and f'romeachothen I .7; a 4. a new article: ofmanufacture a sec tion of multi'plewconduit comprising, a; pluly's aced relation, and a. lurality of, spacing.-

bloc s of concrete exten in-g around-and=be v a tween'said conduits the thickness :ofthe 0011-. crete 'between-a conduit. and'the outer surface of ablock being substantially one half the: thickness beweensadjacentfconduits. 1% 5.. As a-tne'w article of manufacture, ae tionof multiple conduit comprising a plus-'- rality of sections of single conduit arranged in substantial parallelism and spaced" aparta and longitudinally spaced blocks of concrete molded aboutsald single. conduits, the dimension of each block in the direction of the length of the conduits'beingwlessthanits; 4 overall dimensions in directionstran'sversez withrespectto-zthe conduiti,

.- 6; Asa new article of'manufaetur asefi' Q i tion of multiple-conduit comprising a' ;plu. rality of sections of sin le conduit arranged-1: insubstantial parallelism and uniformly spacedfromeach other,- anda pluralityofr-- I blocks of concnete :molded around .saidsections at spaced points, therealong the spaces}; between the blocks ,being greater. than the 1 thickness of the blocks, eachblockqhaving-g;

v testimony: whereof I have signature. .1

form, and a. plurality 0? blocks spaced 101;- I l y it 

